There are cakes that taste like late summer, and Hilde’s plum cake with cinnamon crumble is one of them. The recipe comes from a German family, where Zwetschgenkuchen mit Zimtstreuseln has stood on the table every August, when the plums hung dark blue and heavy on the tree. What sets Hilde’s take apart from the Bavarian version is the cinnamon in the crumble — a small detail that lifts the cake from simply sweet to warm and spiced.
Advertisement: The page displays ads and contains advertising links (affiliate links). See our advertisers here.
In the air fryer, the cake bakes at 160°C, and the whole project takes 60 minutes: 25 minutes of prep and 35 minutes in the basket. The plums sink into the batter and turn into pockets of tangy jam, while the crumble on top turns golden and crisp all the way to the edge.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Table of Contents:
Why I love Hilde’s plum cake with cinnamon crumble in the Air Fryer
A plum cake stands or falls with its topping. In a regular oven, the cake often needs extra time at the end before the crumble gets any color, and during that time the batter underneath dries out. The air fryer’s small chamber and constant air circulation hit the crumble directly, so the butter bubbles up and caramelizes while the cake inside stays moist.
That’s also why the temperature is kept down at 160°C. The air moves faster than in an oven, and a hotter setting would brown the cinnamon crumble long before the batter was baked through. The format also suits everyday life: Hilde’s cake is meant as a cake for afternoon coffee, not a dessert for a big family gathering.
Firm plums aren’t the same as regular plums
Firm plums, or Zwetschgen in German, are elongated, dark blue and noticeably firmer than the round plums in the fruit bowl. The flesh comes away from the stone easily when you halve them, and they contain less water, so they hold their shape instead of cooking down into the batter. With them, you get the characteristic half-moons of concentrated fruit. If you use regular plums, the cake will be wetter — it still tastes good, but the crumble is rarely quite as crisp.
My kitchen test of Hilde’s plum cake with cinnamon crumble
I’ve baked the cake in my Philips XXL at 160°C, and 35 minutes is the point at which the crumble is fully golden, without the base starting to dry out. With the 25 minutes of prep — stoning the plums, the batter, and a crumble that needs time to clump together — the whole cake comes together in 60 minutes, from when I take the plums out to when the basket comes out. Compared to the oven, the air fryer typically saves 20-30 percent of the time, and I don’t have to heat up an entire oven for just one cake.
The one thing I do differently than in the oven is placing the plums closer together than immediately feels right. They shrink as they bake, and with gaps between them you end up with bare batter showing through.
Only work the crumble until it just comes together into crumbs. It’s the crumbs that turn into the crispy topping — a smooth mixture turns into a solid layer.
Tips and tricks from the author: Morten Jensen
The typical mistakes and how to avoid them
The first mistake is turning up the heat to save time. Cinnamon crumble contains both sugar and butter, and they burn quickly in the direct airflow, long before the batter under the plums is baked through — stick to 160°C, even if your air fryer usually cooks faster than recipes say. The second mistake is plums that are too ripe and left to fend for themselves: if they’re soft and juicy, pat the cut side dry with paper towel and place them cut-side up, so the juice doesn’t run straight into the batter. The third mistake happens in the crumble, when the butter is too warm. Soft butter binds flour and sugar into a compact dough that settles into a solid layer over the cake — use butter straight from the fridge, work quickly with your fingertips, and put the crumble back in the fridge while you get everything else ready.
How to serve Hilde’s plum cake
The cake is best warm, when the crumble is still crunchy and the plums are hot. The classic German pairing is simple:
- Lightly whipped cream without sugar, to balance the sweet crumble
- A scoop of vanilla ice cream, if the cake is serving as dessert
- Crème fraîche stirred with a little vanilla sugar
- Black coffee for the classic German afternoon coffee
- An extra sprinkle of cinnamon sugar over the warm slices
Storage and reheating
The cake keeps for a couple of days covered at room temperature. Avoid the fridge, which makes the crumble soft and sad. If it needs reheating, the air fryer does it in a short time at low heat, until the top turns crunchy again — that works noticeably better than the microwave, which steams the crumble soft. You can also freeze the cake in slices and reheat them straight from frozen, once the coffee’s on.
Hilde’s plum cake is worth holding on to, precisely because it’s so little fuss. Plums, a simple batter and a handful of cinnamon crumble — the air fryer takes care of the rest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but they contain more water. Pat the cut side dry with paper towel and place them cut-side up, so the juice doesn’t run straight into the batter. The cake will be a touch softer, but the flavor won’t suffer.
Air circulates faster in an air fryer than in an oven, and the sugar and butter in the cinnamon crumble burn easily. At 160°C for 35 minutes, the batter has time to bake through, while the crumble turns golden instead of dark.
Yes. The crumble can be rubbed together the day before and stored cold in a sealed container, or frozen. Cold crumble actually gives the best crumbs, so it works to your advantage.
Recipe
Hilde’s plum cake with cinnamon crumble in the Air Fryer
Cooking Guide
Keep the screen on and follow the recipe step by step while you cook.
Step 1:
Avoid the screen turning off while you cook.
Step 2:
Start the guide and follow the recipe one step at a time.
Cost of the dish
Prices may vary depending on where you shop.
Our estimate is based on average food prices for the current year 2026.
Estimated price for the whole dish:
Airfryer size
All our recipes are tested in a Philips Airfryer 2000 Series NA230/00 – 6.2 L
Does the recipe fit my Airfryer?
If you’re unsure, you can always reduce by one serving in the recipe, or click the 0.5x button.
You can also Ask the AI Chef
It’s easy! Just press the Ask the AI Chef button you see at the bottom.
Recommended equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Springform pan - 18 cm
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 Electric mixer
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Parchment paper - For the bottom of the tin
Shopping list
Ingredients
How to make it
Preparation
- Halve and stone 400 g plums, and toss the halves with 1 tbsp sugar. Leave them to sit while you make the batter.
- Line the bottom of an 18 cm springform tin with baking paper, and butter the sides. The tin needs to stand freely in the air fryer basket with at least 2 cm of clearance all the way around.
- Rub 50 g butter cubes together with 75 g plain flour, 50 g light brown sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon between your fingers, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Put the cinnamon crumble in the fridge while you make the batter.
- Beat 125 g butter together with 125 g sugar and 1 tsp vanilla sugar, until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add 2 eggs one at a time, beating well after each.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 160 °C fan for 3 minutes.
- Place the tin in the air fryer basket, and bake the cake at 160 °C for 35 minutes. Loosely lay a piece of baking paper over the top after 25 minutes if the crumble is getting too dark.
- Test the cake with a skewer in the centre. If it comes out clean, the cake is done. Otherwise, give it another 3-5 minutes at 160 °C.
Serving
- Let the cake cool in the tin for 15 minutes before loosening the edge. The crumble sets as the cake cools.
- Serve the cake warm with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Our notes for the recipe
Use ripe but firm plums. They hold their shape during baking and don’t turn watery. If you lay the halves cut-side up, the juice stays in the fruit instead of soaking into the batter. The cinnamon crumble:
The cinnamon in the crumble is what sets Hilde’s cake apart from the Bavarian version, where the crumble is kept plain. Keep the butter fridge-cold and crumble it quickly. If the butter gets warm, the crumble melts together into one layer instead of coarse crumbs. Variation:
Replace half the plums with apricots, or add 40 g chopped almonds to the crumble for extra crunch. Serving:
Serve the cake warm with whipped cream, crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream. Portion size:
The cake is baked in an 18 cm springform tin that fits most air fryer baskets. If your air fryer has a small basket, check that there’s at least 2 cm of clearance all the way around the tin.
Your notes for the recipe
Nutrition per serving (Guideline)
Important about shelf life and nutrition
Nutrition per serving (guideline): Calculations are based on data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Shelf life (guideline): Shelf life data is provided, as far as possible, by public institutions, including national food authorities. Our information is therefore only indicative, and it is your responsibility to obtain and calculate accurate information about shelf life and nutrition for all recipes on airfryerkogebogen.dk
Easily share the recipe with others:
Via email or on Facebook
Open the recipe on your phone
Scan the QR code with your phone and get the recipe directly on your mobile while you cook.
Author
Airfryerkogebogen.dk
